Acharya Nagarjuna University, Guntur

Acharya Nagarjuna University (ANU), established in 1976 in Nagarjuna Nagar near Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, is a state affiliating and teaching university named after the 2nd-century Buddhist philosopher Nagarjuna — one of the most influential thinkers in the history of Mahayana Buddhism, whose teachings were formulated at Nagarjunakonda (now in Nalgonda, Telangana). ANU is a comprehensive university with 400+ affiliated colleges across Guntur, Krishna, Prakasam, and Palnadu districts — among the densest concentration of college towns in Andhra Pradesh. The university holds NAAC B++ accreditation and NIRF rank in the top 90 universities. ANU offers programmes in Arts, Science, Commerce, Law, Engineering, Technology, Pharmacy, and Management. The campus at Nagarjuna Nagar is adjacent to the Krishna river, providing a scenic riverfront setting. ANU's research strengths include Buddhist Studies (given the Nagarjunakonda historical context), Chemistry, Pharmacy (Andhra Pradesh's pharma sector is among India's largest), and Social Sciences. The university's pharmacy-related research connects to Andhra Pradesh's ₹50,000 crore pharmaceutical industry in Hyderabad-Visakhapatnam corridor.